HMO or DMV

The last time I was at the DMV was about 18 months ago. I had to register a car we had just acquired. It had been a while since I had previously been to the DMV. I thought to myself, it still can’t be as bad as I remember. Oh, it was much worse. The staff has gotten friendlier and it seemed a bit more organized. The waits however have gotten progressively longer and this is at a NEW DMV office. I think I waited about 2 ½ hours. Just when you think they are going to call your number they call a different one. Apparently they have like a bazillion different numbering systems. That can’t be confusing. Good thing I brought a book with me!

For a recent doctor appointment I had, it was necessary to make the appointment about 1 week out. In some cases I have had to make it 2 to 3 weeks out. This wasn’t for something major. Just some issues I wanted to discuss with my doctor. If I ever need immediate care, the wait in the quick care is not quite as bad as the DMV, or I can use my very awesome Teladoc service. Either way, I am not sitting in a waiting room for 3 plus hours waiting to see someone.

A lot of people are screaming and complaining about how “bad” the healthcare is in this country. They point out that “41 Million” people are without health insurance. How it would be so great if everybody was covered on a government plan such as those in Europe or Canada. They scream against the “evil” insurance companies and their plot to suck every last dime out of you just to make a “gigantic” profit. If only the government could come in and make everyone play nice in the sandbox. They can make things “fair”. They scream about having to fill out lots of paperwork and working through a process to get some procedures pre-approved.

I would much rather have the current health care system we have then anything else in the world. I also do not want government intruding into any aspect of my life, particularly my medical care. It is not the purpose of government to “fix” everything or make everything “fair”.

For the supposed “41 million” people that do not have health insurance, lets really break down that number. First, considering the current population is over 300 million people we shouldn’t be rushing to dramatically alter things. This is especially true considering a large number of the 260 million + people with insurance actually like what they have. When you take the “41 Million” and weed out the people who can afford insurance but just decide not to have it, the young who elect not to have insurance because they feel they are healthy, the people who qualify for Medicaid but don’t know how to apply or don’t want to deal with the DMV like efficiency, and the population that is not here in this country legally, you come out with approximately 11 million who would like insurance but cannot afford it. This comes out to roughly 4% of the population. Although that is still a large number of individuals, the situation is not as dire as the President makes it out to be. There are other ways to get that 4% covered without a government takeover.

I keep hearing a lot of people talk about how great the socialized health care is in Europe and Canada. Yep, it’s so great in France a majority of the population buys “private” insurance on top of that great government run care to get some decent medical care. The rationing of the care alone is unbelievable. In Canada, the wait to see a doctor is 6 months. The great example of government care in this country is the VA. Just ask those veterans about having to wait two months for an “emergency” MRI. The current plan presented by Democrats and the President creates a “board of experts” that will set a one size fits all approach to keep down costs. This means your doctor isn’t the one who decides if you get that life saving medicine or procedure. It is left to the bureaucrats in Washington who will look at a little spreadsheet to ensure it won’t cost too much money. You will end up with stories like that of 22-year old Gary Reinbach. If the healthcare in these other countries is so good, why are all their citizens coming here for medical treatment. The medical care in this country is far superior to that of any country in the world. It seems the complaint everyone has isn’t about the quality of the care so much as they had to pay for it.

Let’s take a look at cost because we know the government is sooooo efficient at running things. See my aforementioned DMV trip above. For every dollar spent on healthcare 0.6% goes towards health insurance costs. So apparently it’s not the insurance driving up cost. How about those evil CEOs with their gold plated toilets? They account for 0.0005% of healthcare costs. Hmmmm, I guess that flushes that idea.

The President keeps saying, “if you like the insurance you have, you can keep it.” That is about the most bold faced lie I have heard him tell yet. The healthcare bill will set up an insurance exchange where all available insurance options, including Uncle Sam’s, would be available for purchase. In order to be a part of the exchange, where you have to get your insurance, you have to meet mandated requirements on what type of care is available, including abortion on demand. This will force several providers out of the pool of eligible companies. The rest will be forced out of business for the simple fact that the government can mandate how much they will compensate medical providers even if it puts the plan in the red. Private companies cannot do that. It will cause their prices to go up while keeping the governments artificially low. Your employer is going to go with the least expensive option to help their bottom line. This will lead to private insurance going out of business and the government having complete control of your healthcare.

There are a few ways that we can address the cost of healthcare without a massive government run bureaucracy getting in the way. Here are just two ideas.

Putting caps on medical malpractice suits. We all know this country is sue happy. Just look at the McDonald’s coffee lady, or my favorite, the lady who put her RV on cruise control so she could get up and make a sandwich. They both won their suits although their actions defied all common sense. The malpractice insurance is astronomical. We talked with my wife’s OB once and she mentioned how expensive her insurance is. If you limit the amount of awards in suits, this brings down the cost of insurance, and correspondingly the doctors can charge less for their services.

Allowing policies to be purchased across state lines, combined with tax breaks for individuals to purchase their insurance. This accomplishes two things. It creates an atmosphere of competition. The one thing we have proved over the last couple decades is Americans are pretty good shoppers. We are ever mindful about finding the best deal. It also creates portability. Now your health insurance isn’t tied to your job. You can take it with you wherever you go. One thing that we have always considered when I am looking for a better career opportunity is the effect of not having insurance during the job transition. If I had my own policy, presto! I have more upward mobility.

The healthcare debate all boils down to this, control. For the people in Washington, the Unions, even some of those evil corporations that are in bed with the politicians, it is about exerting control over the choices you have. It is about fundamentally changing the way this nation runs and exists. As has been the case for hundreds of years, it’s about money and power. The Lord’s greatest gift is my freedom of choice. Let me keep mine to work with my doctor to decide what is best for me. If it goes the other way it looks like I’ll be waiting in the same line for my annual exam and car registration renewal.